1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to data processing system based meeting scheduling systems, and in particular to a method and system for permitting a user to select alternate meeting parameters when all desired meeting parameters cannot be met. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to an intuitive and graphical method for displaying the availability of desired meeting attendees, meeting sites and elements of equipment in a data processing system.
2. Description of the Related Art
The scheduling of meetings has always been fraught with problems. This is particularly true in cases when the person scheduling the meeting has no management or other control over those whose attendance is either desired or necessary.
The prior art initially eased the scheduling burden in that keyboard/display terminal users' schedules were stored in varying calendar forms, and all could be available for call-up at each terminal. These schedules could be called and scanned to determine common available times. This was extremely time consuming as schedules were only available in narrative form on a day-at-a-time basis. Even when monthly abbreviated schedules or calendars were available for call-up, mental or pencil and paper notation of available times was both error-prone and no minor chore.
The prior art has now gone further in solving the above-noted problems. Calendar application programs, stored in a host computer to which the terminal users are connected, are able to read calendars of prospective attendees and provide a listing of available meeting times and dates. The available times and dates are derived from date and time ranges provided by a meeting scheduler. From this listing, a meeting scheduler may select a suitable time and date. After making a selection, either writing down or making a mental note of the suitable time and date, the meeting scheduler may key and transmit a message to each attendee. These systems still require excessive keying in terms of rekeying attendees' names, and a meeting time and date.
More recently, a technique has been developed which presents available meeting times and dates to a meeting scheduler as an option screen. The option screen is then keyed in order to select a time and date for the meeting. When utilizing this technique, a notification screen is presented to the scheduler after selection from the option screen. The scheduler then keys into the notification screen, filling in the purpose and location of the meeting and, if appropriate, shortening the duration of the meeting. Upon completing the notification screen, the screen is then transmitted to notify all attendees of the meeting. While this system represents an advance in time savings, error reduction, and reduced keying requirements, it does not address the problem which occurs when a meeting time cannot be determined which complies with all of the required parameters as determined by the meeting scheduler.
One attempt at solving this problem is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,050,077, in which desired meeting times, dates and attendees are automatically altered or "relaxed" in order to achieve an acceptable meeting time. An option list of meeting times is then presented to the scheduler for selection of a meeting time. Based upon the selection of the scheduler of one of the optional lists of meeting times, a meeting notification screen is constructed for transmittal to each attendee. While this approach represents a substantial increase in efficiency over the prior art, the increased complexity in meeting scheduling systems makes the selection of a less than optimal meeting time difficult for a meeting scheduler.
Therefore, it should be apparent that a need exists for a method and system which presents an intuitive and graphic representation of meeting parameters within a data processing system such that a meeting scheduler may simply and easily select a less than optimal set of meeting parameters for a desired meeting.